1974 Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 1665 'DRSD' MK3 dial

Some watches are built for adventure. Others are born of necessity. The Rolex Sea-Dweller was both.

 

In the 1960s, Rolex was working closely with COMEX, the French deep-sea diving company pushing the limits of commercial saturation diving. Their divers needed a watch that could survive extreme depths—and just as importantly, the ascent. Traditional watches failed. Helium molecules would seep into the case during long exposures in pressurized environments, and upon decompression, the trapped gas would blow the crystal clean off.

 

Rolex’s answer came in the form of a small, but groundbreaking detail: the helium escape valve. First fitted to modified Submariner 5513s delivered to COMEX, testing was so successful that Rolex created a dedicated reference: the Submariner 5514. That success quickly led to a fully commercial version—the Sea-Dweller, officially released in 1967 as the Ref. 1665.

 

By 1971, full-scale production of the 1665 Sea-Dweller began. Its now-iconic “Double Red” dial, with two lines of red text, became a signature for the model. This was not just a dive watch—it was a deep-sea instrument, rated to 610 meters, far beyond the capabilities of its Submariner siblings.

 

In 1977, around the 5.2 million serial range, the Double Red era came to a quiet close. Rolex introduced a revised Ref. 1665 with a new dial: all-white text, removing the red signature that had defined the original. It was a subtle shift, but one that marked the end of an era.

 

The Sea-Dweller 1665 wasn’t just another dive watch. It was engineered for survival, born from collaboration, and tested in the harshest environments imaginable. Whether it’s a Double Red or its later all-white successor, every 1665 tells the story of a brand willing to innovate at the edge of what was possible.

The example offered here is a Rolex ‘Double Red’ Sea-Dweller Ref. 1665 with MK 3 dial that dates to 1974.

 

The MK III black matte dial is in great condition, showing very light wear if any, and featuring a lovely, creamy patina hue on the hour lume plots which perfectly matches with that on the original hands.

 

The recently polished stainless steel case remains strong, with thick lugs and very sharp, prominent bevels following factory standards. It shows only light signs of wear. The case back shows signs of normal use. The inner case back is correctly engraved with the reference number, matching full serial number and date I.72. The stainless steel bezel remains sharp. The original bezel insert is in great condition with very little wear, having aged to a deep petrol blue hue especially visible under sunlight, and a matching tritium pearl/pip.

 

The original superdomed acrylic crystal has some light scratches and a subtle crackling that adds tons of character to the piece.

 

It comes suited on a Rolex Oyster 93150 stainless steel solid-links bracelet with 585 end links, clasp code DE10 and diver’s extension that is preserved in great condition, presenting very little stretch and wear for its age.

 

The watch is running well and keeping time, although service history is unknown.